


Because of the Wish

by wintryEthereal



Category: ATEEZ (Band), ONEUS (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Pirate, At least I have no deadline with this, F/M, Harpies, I caved in and started this fic instead of working on my book oops, I have so much prepared but at the same time I have nothing ready, I hope you enjoy this fic as much as I enjoy writing it!, I went all in with this fic and named the continents landmarks and water bodies, M/M, Mermaids, Pirates, Unlike my book even though I'm literally a nobody hermit lol, long chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:54:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 18,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24669451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wintryEthereal/pseuds/wintryEthereal
Summary: Awakening from a nightmare on a tiny island, a mermaid spotted the ship she saw in the dream. Knowing its doom and hoping she could prevent it, she sang to encourage the captain to stop and talk with her. Disregarding his first mate's warning in belief of her passionate singing, the captain steered in her direction.[ALSO POSTED ON WATTPAD AND TUMBLR AS wintryEthereal]
Relationships: Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa, Kim Hongjoong/Reader, Park Seonghwa/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	1. Parlay with a Fish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter last revised August 8, 2020

**H** yeonja woke up with a start, her face scorching hot. Her neck ached from moving too quickly, but she was more concerned with crawling closer to the water and wetting her face than with massaging her muscle. She leaned on her hands and panted, zoned out to the sound of the water moving around her body. The water was halfway up her biceps, and it felt lovely. Hyeonja gave a sigh and shuffled her hands on the sand, sweeping her tail around so it was submerged in the water. 

She recalled images from the nightmare. She  _ really _ didn't want to be the next Beacon. It should be impossible for her to be, because her powers didn't include light or navigation. She had never had a dream like that before her twentieth birthday last year, so why did she see the sad fate of a Beacon? Hyeonja had a common power with a common String. She just wanted to go home and eat eels for what would be a late lunch, by the time she would make it there.

Hyeonja squinted and muttered, "Where  _ am _ I, though?" She looked behind her and observed the three acai trees and a bush on her right. There were so many islands like it, so it served no immediate help to her. Hyeonja crawled over to the trees and licked the bark of the nearest one.

She then knew she was 324 nautical miles (372 miles) north of Irowell Landing, and therefore the continent of Aetren. Not the greatest place for a mermaid to be. That meant she was 1864 nautical miles (2145 miles) northwest of Mermaid Cove. "If I go full speed for as long as I can, that's... at least nineteen days." Hyeonja groaned, dropping onto the sand and sighing. "I won't have eels for lunch, I guess."

She suddenly remembered her dream. She had glimpsed the ship at sunrise. Hyeonja whipped her head around and saw it, about twenty nautical miles out. It was a three masted stay-sail schooner with a blond body and decent looking sails. Its black flag had three golden diagonal stripes on it, the lower ends of the lines on the left side of the fabric.

She remembered watching the ship slam into the black rocks of the mountain where one could climb the island. She didn't see the gore on the deck, instead having looked beside her to watch the captain die. Hyeonja heard the screams of the crew in her head like the roar of a demon. She shuddered. She glowed like a lantern.

Hyeonja knew she couldn't stop this fate from happening, but she wanted to make the ending change. It was logically impossible for her to, but her heart wouldn't budge. She wanted to hope that it  _ could _ be changed. The clearest thing she remembered was the song she sang during the flashes of images and the darkness that followed. Hyeonja hurried to the edge of the shore and made sure she was elbow deep in the water. She inhaled deeply and brought out her chest voice to replicate the power of the song.

_ "Abandon me like a sailor to a sinking ship. _

_ If we survive and meet again, don't say 'I'm sorry'." _

—

"Mermaid on starboard!" Called Yeosang, from the crow's nest.

"Keep an eye on 'er, Yeosang!" Answered Hongjoong, looking up to the blond boy. His hand lazily kept the wheel in its current direction.

"Aye aye, hyung!"

"She has a white tail, cap'n." Said one of the crew mates. "What do you suppose her fish is?"

Hongjoong turned his head to look at the mermaid. She was licking a tree. "She has a pure white tail. Might be koi or guppy. I'd put money on guppy. Her tail is feathery. Pretty thing."

"We're going to keep past her, right, Hongjoong?" Said Seonghwa, the first mate. He stood leaning against the railing with his arms crossed. His eyes flicked from Hongjoong to the mermaid. He seemed transfixed and bitter to her. Hongjoong understood why. It wasn't Seonghwa's fault that parts of the world didn't like mermaids.

"Aye, we are."

"She's moving fast, our way." Yeosang spat out. The two dozen men on deck looked at the mermaid. She dipped into the water and stopped, poised on her hands.

_ "Abandon me like a sailor to a sinking ship." _ Sang the mermaid. As soon as Seonghwa heard her voice, he hissed and covered his ears. Eight other sailors deafened themselves, too. Hongjoong glanced at Seonghwa, whose pupils were dilated in anger. Jongho and Yunho were on deck, but they seemed calm and attentive to the mermaid's song. Hongjoong doubted San and Wooyoung could hear the mermaid from the crew's quarters.  _ "If we survive and meet again, don't say 'I'm sorry'." _

_ "You have no excuse for the whole ugly story." _

"Hyung!" Shouted Mingi, who also had his ears closed. "Close your ears! Don't listen to her!"

_ "I agree, and as I descend I hear you scream:" _

"Sh!" Hongjoong responded. He and Mingi met eyes. "I'd like to hear the story." Hongjoong turned his focus back to the mermaid. Mingi and Seonghwa looked at each other, sharing an air of disbelief and concern for their leader.

_ ""Don't come back!" After "Don't you think?" And "Don't say that."" _ The mermaid paused for breath. Hongjoong wondered if the fish learned this song from a dream and if she had waited for them here for long. He decided to speak with her, after her song. He knew he would have to fight Seonghwa about it, but he'd win the argument.

Hongjoong saw Wooyoung's head poke up from the ladder to the lower deck. So they  _ did _ hear her. Wooyoung swung out onto the deck as the mermaid started what sounded like the chorus, and San followed him. Spotting the mermaid, Wooyoung walked up to the railing to get a better look. San quietly came behind him and set his hands on the railings on either side of Wooyoung. 

As the mermaid serenaded onward, Mingi lowered his hands. Half of the crew who had their ears covered let down their hands, too. Hongjoong knew that Wooyoung and San's presence had given them the courage to give the mermaid the audience she deserved. Hongjoong checked on Seonghwa, feeling his eyes baring down on him. Seonghwa tucked in his lips and looked at the sea beyond the stern. It would be challenging to sway Seonghwa to open his mind to the mermaid's message. The mermaid would have to do it, herself.

_ "Blue into black, all is dark but the moon." _

_ Hope that I run out of air and die soon. _

_ Hide me forever, I don't want to know what's next. _

_ I don't even regret not ever having sex." _ Hearing this line was surprising, to Hongjoong. Merfolk didn't have a word for sex. It was common knowledge they hated the word because it suggested that love was dirty. The differences between man and merfolk were so many that an author from Semery wrote a lengthy almanac about them.

_ "What lives in the black ocean, in the black ocean, _

_ Hope it swallows me like trauma to emotion. _

_ Bottom of the black ocean, of the black ocean, _

_ Please be a time machine to fix what is broken." _ The mermaid paused to catch her breath, again. The chorus stirred memories from Hongjoong. His chest tightened, and he turned his head away from the mermaid to push those thoughts back to his subconscious. This song was obviously meant to connect with people who had been rejected by a lover and had no strength left to move on, trading their lives for bottomless grief. The black ocean around Hermit's Mountain symbolized that fate. The only thing that'd keep people in sorrow from ending their lives would be a hopeless wish that could be blown out like a candle all too easily. And that made the song eminently heartbreaking.

Staring at the mermaid, Hongjoong again wondered where she learned this song.  _ Was it  _ from a dream? Or had she been taught it by someone she knew? The anticipation was eating away at his sanity. He was close to throwing himself in the rowboat to ask her. He looked at his shoes, swallowing a laugh and flaring his nostrils. Seonghwa would give him an even harder time, if he did that.

_ "Suddenly, I am blinded by sunlight, _

_ And a warm body is holding me tight. _

_ "You have no reason to leave so soon, _

_ Be with me, sing a different tune. _

_ "Don't give up!" After "Don't you see?" And "Don't say that."" _ Sang the mermaid.

Hongjoong thought,  _ 'So the one who had thrown their life away found someone who proved their worth and made them feel as if it was true. What a sweet turn of events.' _

_ "Black into blue, all is clear like the moon. _

_ I release the past like a bunch of balloons. _

_ Hold me forever; wanna see what's next, for sure. _

_ I don't even mind forgetting to be mature. _

_ Even now the black ocean, now the black ocean, _

_ Is free of the curse bound to my old emotions. _

_ Surface of the black ocean, of the black ocean," _ The mermaid raised her volume higher than she had, before.  _ "Sparkles like a mermaid—" _ Then let her voice naturally fall. Even then, it carried across the water like the sailors and fish were in a ballroom because a mermaid's voice always had that effect.  _ "—With her eyes wide open." _

The sailors who had listened cheered. Seonghwa dropped his arms and snarled, " _ Please _ tell me you don't want to avast and parlay with that fish, Hongjoong." The mermaid adjusted herself so that she sat on her tail. She lightly used her right arm to stabilize her stance.

"Did you not see the speed she put forth to reach the water so she could sing her story to us, Seonghwa?" Replied Hongjoong.

"I  _ did _ ." Seonghwa pushed himself off the railing, and he closed the distance between himself and Hongjoong. "She recognized us and has probably doomed us. We should keep going." He looked at his hands. "She was so loud that my hands did nothing to block her out."

"She  _ does _ have quite the set of lungs, doesn't she?" Commented San, left hand letting go of the bar to view Seonghwa. "If you heard her song, hyung, don't you think she was trying to give us a warning? To tell the future, I mean."

Seonghwa flaunted his hands and came down the steps, stopping in front of San. "Oh, I have no doubt she was telling us the future. I bet she heard it from a sea witch. Hongjoong," He whipped his head around to the red haired captain. His hands froze in the air, mid-action. 

" _ Please _ have some sense. If we parlay with that fish, we'll ensure that future will come true!" The captain and first mate met eyes. Hongjoong's expression told Seonghwa that he wasn't considering the issue seriously, that he was forgetting the horror stories. Seonghwa's expression told Seonghwa that he wasn't considering luck and was forgetting the pirate's way. "We can't risk it.  _ Please _ ."

"Mm, I have some sense, Seonghwa." Said Hongjoong, settling his hands back on the wheel. "I also have a theory: if we parlay with the girl," Seonghwa's lip twitched. "We just might change that future. Especially if we make the right choices. We're on our way to an adventure, aren't we? What's the harm of setting up a future scenario?"

Seonghwa held his arms in front of his chest. "Our lives! Our  _ lives _ , Hongjoong!" He flung an arm to the mermaid. "That fish was talking about the black ocean!" 

He lowered his arm and glanced among the crew and his friends. "Songs  _ never _ talk about that blight unless they're talking about  _ death _ . I bet she  _ dreamed _ of our deaths!" Seonghwa took a few steps closer to the helm and made eye contact with Hongjoong, again. "We can't go closer, Hongjoong. We  _ can't _ ."

Hongjoong sighed and sharply turned the wheel rightwards. "No, we  _ can _ ." Seonghwa's eyes flew open. He dashed up the stairs and halted beside Hongjoong, mouth agape and arms paused in the air. Hongjoong peeked at Seonghwa occasionally.

"We  _ shouldn't _ , but we  _ can _ . We don't need to believe in a bad ending, if we can change it. Do you think she would have sang to us so passionately, if she didn't want to help us?" Seonghwa shut his lips. "It even sounded like there  _ was  _ a happy ending, in that song. It just might be a case of allies and choices, Seonghwa. Just like how our journey has been, so far. Have some faith in that, at least."

Seonghwa digested his friend's words for a few seconds, then sighed. "OK. I'll have some faith." He crossed his arms. "But we are  _ not _ leaving this ship, and that fish is  _ not _ —"

"—Of  _ course _ not, Seonghwa." Hongjoong calmly interrupted. "She probably wants to go home, and we have somewhere to go, too. We'll talk and learn what we can." He beckoned Seonghwa to come closer with his left index finger as the ship pulled up to the tiny island.

He whispered into Seonghwa's ear, "I haven't let my guard down. You know I don't." Seonghwa nodded. "Come on, let's introduce ourselves. Weigh anchor!"

"Aye, cap'n!" Replied a few of the men.

Hongjoong led Seonghwa down the steps and stood beside San and Wooyoung. The ship slowly came to a stop in the shallows. "Ahoy, miss. How are you, this morning?"

"Ahoy, captain. I'm doing fine. How are your travels?"

"Fine, miss. You been out here, long?"

"No, I woke up here, minutes ago. I remembered your ship from my nightmare."

"Ah," Hongjoong tilted his head back. "So it  _ was _ from a dream. What happened in it?"

"I was starving and thirsty like I'd never been, before. My back ached like mad. I heard myself singing, in my head. I knew I had been in pain for over a week. I was suddenly outside, kneeling beside you, Captain. I saw myself glow like a Beacon, even though it ain't my power to give light or navigate the seas."

"I watched your ship crash into the rocks at the dock of Hermit's Mountain, but instead of seeing the crew die, I watched the hermit kill you, Captain. I don't remember how. I think my mind threw the image away to protect me. I started to choke on my tears, and I cried myself awake. That was all drawn out long enough for me to hear the whole song. It's in my nature to remember songs, as you know. And so, when I woke up, my instincts told me to sing that song to you so we could parlay and perhaps avoid that fate."

"Wow." Hongjoong softly remarked. "What a sad tale. Thank you for that, miss." Hyeonja nodded several times. "As much as some of my crew fear the hermit," Hongjoong looked among his crew and friends. "I know that  _ you _ must fear him, too. 'Specially since you glowed like a Beacon. That ain't a curse anyone deserves. So let's talk about what we can do to perhaps avoid that fate, aye. What  _ is _ your power, miss?"

"The soothsayer called it Butterfly Teleport. If I kiss someone—doesn't have to be their lips—I can teleport to the nearest body of water to that person, if I feel their life is in danger. It lasts for a week, and then the spell breaks. It's a kissing variant of Blood and Bite Teleport. Are you familiar with those powers, Captain?"

Hongjoong nodded once. "Aye, I am. They require one to swallow someone's blood or give a lover's bite on the neck to someone. Your power is nice, I think."

Hyeonja blushed a bit and averted her eyes from Hongjoong, for a moment. "Thank you. There might not be much we can do to change our future, even if we see a soothsayer. But, with your permission, Captain, I could kiss one of your crew so I can come and assist you in a battle."

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow. "And what do we get, in return?"

"Depends on what you want and what you need that I might be able to help with."

"Aye." Hongjoong nodded slightly. "Excuse me a moment, miss." Hyeonja nodded in reply. Hongjoong and Seonghwa turned around. Hongjoong stepped in front of his first mate and whispered, "She might know something about the cave we don't."

"She might lie to us, too." Seonghwa answered. "It doesn't  _ sound _ like you haven't let your guard down, Hongjoong. Are you  _ really _ going to believe that fish's story?"

"Yes, Seonghwa, I  _ am _ . Enough time has passed for there to be a new Beacon. If we don't put at least  _ some _ of ourselves into this turn of events, it will eat us alive. The things she dreamed of will come to fruition.  _ No one _ would want to walk that doomed path, Seonghwa." He gently placed a hand on Seonghwa's shoulder. "We don't  _ need _ to be friends with this girl. I think she knows that, too. She's probably scared of us for that reason, alone. We need to believe in her, like she's has to believe in us."

Seonghwa sighed and nodded. "You're right." He scoffed and shook his head. "I hate this, we didn't ask for this—"

"—Neither did she."

"I—!" Seonghwa cut his scream short. He glanced at his crew with wild eyes, then looked at the mermaid, hearing movement in the water. Her face looked surprised. She swallowed and flexed her cheeks to smile.

Seonghwa observed her face and decided her smile was genuine. Her lip trembled a little. She was nervous.  _ 'No, she didn't lie.'  _ He thought.  _ 'Liars have a different nervous face.' _

Hyeonja's bronze skin was a pleasing contrast to her white tail, and her dark brown hair came to her elbows. It was many shades deeper than her eyes, which sparkled like a child enjoying their favourite sweet in the sunlight. She wore a white sleeveless top with a long, bow collar. The shirt was tied in the back, its fabric thick enough to hide her nipples. Seonghwa couldn't see what the back of her shirt was like. Hyeonja's gills lined up with her ribs, but like with other mermaids, if her torso wasn't in water, the gills weren't visible.

"I'm sorry." Seonghwa said at a low volume, look at Hongjoong again.

Hongjoong raised a hand and shook his head. "I forgive you. I said what I said before: it's not my job to make you two get along. May I continue my parlay with her?"

Seonghwa nodded. "Yes, of course. But what could she give us, besides assistance in combat?"

"A magic map would be nice, don't you think?"

"It would be, yeah, but where else do we want to go, besides Fool's Cave?"

Hongjoong reared his brow. "Wherever we need to because of this story, of course. It'll last for as long as she's in good health, so what have we to lose? This is the kind of story where we've got to have each other's backs, Seonghwa. You know that well." Seonghwa nodded. "Let's ask her for that, and if she can't draw, we'll think more." Seonghwa nodded again.

Hongjoong pivoted to face Hyeonja. "All right, miss, we've thought of something. You ready to hear it?"

"Aye, captain." She answered, confidently.

"I'll take your Butterfly kiss on my cheek—" Seonghwa's eyes widened a bit. "—If you can draw us a magic map to Fool's Cave. We've got a good idea of where to go, but if you can show us anything we don't know, we'd appreciate it. Then, if we come into trouble, you can come fight with us. So, can you draw?"

Hyeonja nodded. "Aye, captain, I can draw, and I agree to your proposal. I probably  _ do _ know of some dangers the Navy maps may not about that area."

"Great! I'll be using the Jacob's ladder. I'll be back in a moment, miss." Hongjoong said. Hyeonja bowed her head in response. Hongjoong descended the ladder and walked to the cabin, on his left. He went in the cabin, strode to his desk and grabbed the map of Fool's Cave that was there, along with his ink and quill. He made sure the ink pot was sealed. Hongjoong retraced his steps and climbing back up to the deck.

In the meantime, Wooyoung asked Hyeonja, "Excuse me, miss, but what's your fish?"

Hyeonja smiled. "Koi." Some of the crew gave  _ 'ah' _ and  _ 'ooh' _ in thought. "My tail isn't as showy as some other koi, but I like it, that way. Doesn't get caught in seaweed too easily."

"What river or lake are you from, miss?" Asked Jongho, scurrying up to the railing between San and Wooyoung. That was cute, so San smiled.

"Dormant Run."

Jongho bent his head back. "Ah, so you're from Trigen."

"Aye, I am." Hyeonja nodded.

"Do you remember falling asleep in Dormant Run, the other night?" Asked San.

"I do, aye. I've got at least a twenty-eight day swim home, if I swim as fast as I can."

San hissed. "Oh, that sounds so exhausting. Don't put  _ too _ much energy into your swim back home, miss. Wouldn't want you to be shark food."

Hyeonja nodded numerous times. "Aye, I'll take care."

"So we've got a bit of a mystery on our hands, then." Said Wooyoung. "Someone must have magicked you here, miss."

"Aye, you're right about that. I'll have to do some puzzling, at home. I don't have any enemies, but if I'm the next Beacon, some sea witch or sorcerer must have put me here."

"I doubt you'll find them," Seonghwa said, crossing his arms. "But for your sake and ours, I hope you do. Hope you have strong enough friends to help you off their head."

Hyeonja batted her eyelashes. "T-Thank you."

Jongho muttered to Wooyoung, "Aren't  _ we _ her friends, now?"

Wooyoung shrugged and whispered back, "I guess so, yeah."

"Hyung is being so mean to her... I don't think she deserves it."

San commented, "She probably doesn't. Like hyung said, we can't help them get along. But don't go thinking hyung will let them become enemies, Jongho-ah. If it comes to it, I'd gladly help miss, if they get into a fight and she needed someone to confide in." Jongho nodded in understanding.

"Aw, that's so nice of you, San." Wooyoung smiled. Seonghwa sniffled. He picked up what they said almost completely, as the only noises were the ocean and the mumbles of the crew.

_ 'What if I don't want to become friends with a fish?' _ He thought. _ 'She's already brought us into trouble just by drawing us close to talk. The closer we get to her, the closer we'll get to death. I'll bet my lantern on it: she's no good for us. If I can't talk Hongjoong out of this, I'll force him out. Then we'll veer off this path and back to normalcy. But how, without it looking like mutiny?' _

Seonghwa jumped, hearing steps on the ladder. He turned to watch Hongjoong emerge. Without another word in his mind, Seonghwa stored away his plotting for later and put on a neutral face. Hongjoong flashed a closed mouth smile to Seonghwa as he reached the railing and swung over to where the Jacob's ladder was built into the ship's side. He immediately knew he had soaked his ass, but it was only water. As Hongjoong waded in the deep end of the shallows, Hyeonja crawled further onto the shore until only the lower half of her tail was in water.

Hongjoong reached the edge of the water, which was about where Hyeonja sat. He sat on his rear with a sigh and grinned at Hyeonja. He knew she was pretty from afar, and the closer he was to her, the more alluded to her mysticism he became. At the moment, he was more than OK with that. He had a fleeting gut feeling he was supposed to feel that way. Hyeonja smiled back, and tilted her head leftwards. "So then, Captain: let me see your map, please."

Hongjoong had a double take. "Huh?"

"Your map, Captain." She softly chuckled. "Let me draw on it."

"Oh, uh, of course. But what are you going to put the map on so it doesn't get wet?"

"Your back is dry, isn't it?" Hyeonja answered, and Hongjoong nodded. "Then turn around so I can use it, please."

"Aye, miss." Hongjoong gave Hyeonja the paper, ink and quill, then turned his back to her. Hyeonja slid a bit closer to him, then put down the ink and quill to press the map against his brick red coat. Its colour was faded, but the coat itself was in good condition. Hyeonja held the map against Hongjoong with her right hand as she popped off the lid of the ink pot with her other. She wet the quill with ink, then hovered the tip over the paper.

"Mm, the cave isn't that small. It's thrice as big as the map shows."

"Ah, really?" Hongjoong remarked, turning his head and moving his shoulders to look at the mermaid. Hyeonja nodded. "So it's true that the cave has hollows one can only reach through swimming in the narrow tunnels?"

"Aye, captain. It's an impressive system. Home to a few lone monsters, as you must know."

"Aye, I do know."

"You must be confident in your company to challenge Fool's Cave, Captain."

"Aye, I am. Yunho and Mingi are our lead swordsmen, and Jongho and Wooyoung our lead gunners. There ain't a single waster in our ranks, miss. I've got faith that we'll come out with some pretty booty, I do."

Hyeonja smiled. "That'd be legendary, Captain. Best of luck to you, from the bottom of my heart, aye." Hongjoong gave her a charming smile, then swiveled his head back around. "I'll draw light lines to show where the cave  _ actually _ goes."

Hongjoong felt the tickle of the quill and the caress of Hyeonja's hand. Her movements were therapeutic to his senses, so he closed his eyes to enjoy it. "I also know of a few unmarked rocks that are hard to spot 'cause they don't surface." Said Hyeonja. "I haven't been to the island in five years, so I don't know if there are any wrecks to loot, but I imagine there might be."

"Aye, there might be."

"Even then, sirens, merfolk and buccaneers might have left before you arrive, so you may not find anything."

"Aye, that too." They were quiet as Hyeonja concentrated on her sketch and Hongjoong enjoyed the sensations on his back. A minute later, Hongjoong asked, "Miss, what is your name? We've spoken for this long, and I don't know what to call you."

"Hyeonja is my name, Captain."

"Oh," Hongjoong awed. "It suits you, really." Hongjoong replied. Hyeonja released air from her nose, and her cheeks rose in a smile. Hongjoong moved his head slightly. "What is it?"

"Nothing, Captain."

"Ah, but that's a lie, isn't it?" He grinned. "What's got you flustered, mate?"

"It's nice to have another human call me  _ 'Hyeonja' _ instead of  _ 'fish' _ and such."

"Ah, aye. History wasn't kind to merfolk like you, was it?" Hongjoong said.

Hyeonja shook her head. "I want to die before I turn twenty-five. Then I won't risk hurting any man or fish as a siren."

"But not  _ all _ merfolk turn pale, when they fully mature, Hyeonja. You know this, too, eh?"

Hyeonja held her breath for one second, then sighed and nodded. Hongjoong turned his head to see her head bob a few times. He watched her face sympathetically. "If I fail as a Beacon, you and your company will die, Captain, and I'll turn into a siren  _ before _ I'm twenty-five. I've seen lots of fish and men die 'cause some of us hate the other, Captain." Her eyes fell to the sand beneath her, and she stopped drawing.

"I hate going on land just 'cause my friends say  _ 'let's go for a drink!' _ and I end up running home with one less friend 'cause someone decided to go feral on a poor girl. And I hate going on land to market with my ma and sister, and a merchant or stranger decides to throw a bucket of piss at us. It doesn't just ruin our clothes and make us smell, Captain. It ruins whoever is nearby us. And then we have to stop and run home to wash up and cry." Hyeonja's voice faltered.

She sniffled and put the quill in her left hand, which she held the map with, so she could wipe her nose. She finally looked Hongjoong in the eye. "And you and your crew must have seen at least one man or fish die in the streets, day or night, 'cause of that old feud."

"Aye, most of us have, Hyeonja."

Hyeonja's arms fell limp, and she held the materials in both hands, on her lap. Her eyes lowered to her lap, as well. "I fell asleep in mermaid cove and woke up with a burning face 'cause I'd been in the sun, for however long I was. I haven't tasted what's being served to me, and I already hate it. I think  _ all _ Beacons came to hate and dread the incoming meal, after it happened so many times."

Hongjoong nodded carefully. Hyeonja shook her head rapidly. "Point is, I don't want to die like that. I hope I can grow close enough to you and your crew so that when I'm crying and saying that I don't want you all to die, it will  _ mean _ something." She raised her head to look at Hongjoong, again. "Savvy, Captain?"

"Aye, Hyeonja, I do. I feel your worries. This won't be easy for us. Much less for you, since you're the Beacon." Hongjoong turned on his bottom so he sat sideways, and he made eye contact with Seonghwa for a second. "My first mate, there; you heard some of his shouting, yeah?"

Hyeonja nodded. "He's right to think your lives are in danger. You all now know that I  _ did _ dream of your deaths. That's all I heard, cross my heart." She made an  _ 'x'  _ in front of her left breast with her left index finger. She observed Seonghwa, and he met her eyes in response.

"He looks like the kind of man who wears a face to protect his family. But his face is beautiful, and the way he stands is graceful, like a dancer. Normal men don't stand like that, much less men with stone hearts. I don't think it will be hard for us to be friends, if he looks past me being a fish. I bet he knows his history, if he was so fearful of what I've brought you all into."

"Aye, that he does."

"It's not your job to tell why he may have a grudge against fish, and I don't need or feel the need to ask him to tell me the story today. We just met, after all. So, if you don't need me to help you, in Fool's Cave, let's rendezvous somewhere in Trigen so we can become friends. Not just him and I, either."

"Aye, I know what you meant, Hyeonja." Hongjoong smiled. "That sounds like a fine idea. What's the closest town to your river?" He huffed lightly. "What's your home, anyway?"

Hyeonja smiled. "Dormant Run."

"Ah, so Ikaford is closest to you. Not a great town for pirates to be in, miss." Hongjoong shook his head and squinted his eyes shut for a moment. "Uh, Hyeonja."

She giggled. "It's fine, Captain. What about Mendol? They won't go tattling to the navy in Semery."

"You've got a deal, Hyeonja. Mendol it is." Hongjoong said. He and Hyeonja shared a kind smile with each other for a couple of seconds, then Hongjoong turned his body so that Hyeonja could continue her work. Hyeonja put the map on his back again and continued to draw.

Hyeonja thought about how kind the captain was to her. She already had his voice stuck in her head. Partially because of her nature, and partially because he had a pleasant voice. It was more feminine than she thought it would be. He looked handsome and intimidating from some angles and youthful and compassionate from others.

It reminded her of someone she thought of dearly, so she immediately decided that Hongjoong was a good person. Pirates be pirates, but men be men, as the saying went. There was a siren equivalent for women. It meant that there are two personalities a person can give, upon first impression. That was often the most important and honest part of a person. The most raw part that only fear and trauma may be able to alter. This perspective mixing with her own beliefs of what she liked in people, Hyeonja sighed and smiled with a closed mouth.

"What is it, Hyeonja?" Questioned Hongjoong, drawing the girl’s eyes to his as the boy turned his head to see her.

"I like you already, Captain."

Hongjoong mirrored the mermaid's smile. "I like you, too." He turned his head back to face the ocean before him. Hongjoong thought about how nervous Hyeonja's voice sounded, at a certain point. He heard a slight stutter when she said  _ 'Nothing, Captain.' _ , how her tone weakened when she talked about her possible fate, to become a siren.

She would forget her name and lose most of her vocal ability. She would only be able to hiss and scream. Hyeonja's skin would whiten like lace, her irises would turn yellow like fool's gold, and her blood would turn yellow, like that of a monster in Fool's Cave. She would eat mud skippers and lung fish because the black ocean was anoxic. She would go to Fool's Cave each summer to mate with a monster to give it a chance at offspring. She might anger the monster because her humanity would flicker back, lose a short fight with the monster, and die as its snack.

Sirens lost the human-fish embryos their mermaid bodies produced. They produced an embryo that was compatible with monsters. Hongjoong blinked, remembering it  _ was _ summer. She could turn into a siren in the current month or the upcoming months.  _ 'Hyeonja' _ would die. Hongjoong shook his head a bit to escape that thought.

He focused again on what Hyeonja said. Her breath was tense as she talked about memories with her friends, mother and sister. Her words were a bit rushed and half-shouted. Hongjoong was sure his crew had heard that part of their conversation, if not all or most of it. Yeosang had incredible hearing, so  _ he _ heard them, for sure.

The feud between man and fish was as old as the hermit's tale. Mermaids and human thrived with each other for a hundred years, teaching each other about the land and sea and exploring the world together. Pirates were born from the adventure of exploration and the greed of Aetren. In comparison, the eastern continent of Trigen was a bit bitter to unconventional ways of living and acquiring wealth, and the southern continent, Yubin, welcomed change to tradition with open arms. Yubin was full of merfolk and elves, Trigen primarily inhabited by dwarves and poor humans, and Aetren by rich humans, elves and the rare dwarf.

The hermit's tale went like this: after the legendary pirate captain Noran Nun, (노란눈; yellow eyes) sought revenge for the betrayal of his first mate and the heartbreak of his mermaid wife from the world's most powerful sea witch, Jilsik (질식; suffocating) the captain, his mountain home and the ocean within five miles turned to darkness. He slaughtered his crew with dark magic as they slept and turned his first mate into a mirror. In the same night, he cast a spell on his wife, turning her into the first siren. After disposing of the corpses in the black ocean, Noran Nun traveled to Aetren and asked its strongest witch, Hwangsang (환상; illusion) to bewitch and keep the mirror in return for the captain's child daughter, Yeorm (여름; summer). Hwangsang lived up to her name, so it's likely that Yeorm was abused, under her care.

At her execution in Tose, the capital of Aetren, Hwangsang told the people and royal sorcerers, who recorded the event with glass beads, that Yeorm had the mirror. Hwangsang promised Yeorm that she would be free to leave her care when she turned twenty and became an adult, and she had done that. To prove this to the crowd, Hwangsang created one last illusion: Yeorm, standing before her father on the long plain atop the mountain, glowing yellow.  _ She _ was the first Beacon, a girl who said for all to hear that she came to save her father, that she missed him.

They watched Noran Nun quickly close the distance between him and Yeorm, who hummed a few chords in a beautiful and high register. Noran Nun grabbed his daughters head, snapped her neck, and took the mirror as her body went limp. He turned Yeorm into a siren and tossed her reanimated body into the ocean. He must have given the mirror to another witch, who then sold or gifted it to twelve mermaids from around the world and two princesses of Tose. Those girls became Beacons, cursed with the fate of the Beacon: come to the hermit's mountain alone and unarmed and... do what?

No one knew what the girls, who each disappeared one summer night, thought they brought to Hermit Mountain that would change their destiny. Because the mirror was never suspected or found before or after a girl became a Beacon, the witch, or an ally of hers, must have changed the frame of the mirror before selling it and confiscated it the night each girl vanished. Hyeonja had already been abducted from home, hadn't she? Hongjoong suddenly feared that this  _ was _ Hyeonja's fate, that they wouldn't be able to change anything. He would die beside her on the mountain, in a failed attempt to save her.

_ 'Does she still have the mirror, at home? Or has the witch snatched it, already? Now is a weird time to ask if she has it. I'd have to bring up the hermit's tale, and her poor heart is already thinking about it.' _ Hongjoong only needed a moment to come up with a solution.  _ 'Mendol; I'll ask her about it in Mendol.' _

He thought about Seonghwa, again, and his crew: his family. Hongjoong knew that Seonghwa was thinking of the hermit's story, when they sailed upon Hyeonja. Again, he acknowledged that Seonghwa and Hyeonja would have to become closer by themselves. But Hongjoong had an idea of what he could say to Seonghwa so the friendship would happen more naturally. He came up with something else, and he could—no, he  _ should _ —say it, now. He looked over his right shoulder once more. "Hyeonja, I have just realized something."

"Oh?" The mermaid looked up from her drawing.

"You don't know  _ my _ name. It's not fair or helpful if I know yours but you don't know mine, is it?"

"Oh!" Hyeonja chuckled. "No, Captain, it isn't fair or helpful. What is your name, then?"

"Kim Hongjoong. You may call me Captain Hongjoong, if you'd like."

Hyeonja puckered her lips. "It's a bit of a mouthful to say ' _ Captain Hongjoong' _ , so I think I'll stick with  _ 'Captain' _ . We just met, so it isn't time to drop formalities."

"Aye." Hongjoong bowed his head.

Hyeonja smiled softly. " _ 'Hongjoong' _ somehow suits you, Captain." Hongjoong couldn't help but smile back and blush a little. "I'm nearly done with the map."

"How much have you  _ drawn _ ?" Hongjoong said with a chortle. He opened his hand, and Hyeonja slid the map off his back and into his hand. She used his back to help her sit on her hands, her arms in front of her. Hongjoong turned the parchment in his hands as Hyeonja sealed the ink pot and put the quill on the lid. " _ Wow. _ This so detailed... you've drawn all of the little bumps and written... are those monster names?"

"Aye, Captain, they are." Hyeonja pulled herself forward, then pointed to part of the map. "I've drawn little circles to indicate air pockets and little x's to indicate treasure. Be mindful of this room," Hyeonja tapped the fifth broader section of the drawing. "And the ones beyond it." She traced her finger to the next two rooms.

"Do you know the monsters that live in Fool's Cave, Captain?"

"I know of Jjijgi, (찢기; tearing) who lives in the last hollow. I know the monsters are man eaters, and that they all hibernate. It's their mating season, so the cave is full of sirens, at night. I can't remember the names of the other two. Will you remind me, Hyeonja?"

"Aye, Captain. The monster in the fifth room is Giokja (격자; grating). He has the head of a boar," Hyeonja held her hands on each side of her head, in the air. "The body of a big man," She dipped her arms to her waist. "Hairy arms and legs with hooves." She rubbed her left arm. "The rocks of his room are sharp. He grinds his food on them to make it easier for him to eat. If you slash his belly enough times, he'll keel over and go to sleep for two days to heal."

Hongjoong quirked his brows. "He can heal himself."

"Aye. Bullets seem to be his weakness, 'specially in his belly, but he gets so angry and rampant that it's bothersome and dangerous to try and kill him. It's hard to aim for his head, for the same reason. Some folks think that the way to kill him is to trap him in a corner—" Hyeonja made an open peak with all of her fingertips, except for her thumbs and pinkies. "—And tear him apart with some kind of rig or saw. Just go ham on him, you know?"

Hongjoong laughed. Hyeonja continued, "Milgo (밀고; squelching) lives in the next room. He's an octopus with twenty tentacles." Hongjoong looked surprised. "He's  _ big _ ."

"I can imagine."

"He heals himself, too. Doesn't grow a new tentacle, if you cut one off," Hyeonja shook her head. "But the same one grows back, if you do." She made a face. "Comes with a nasty sting if he slaps you. But he's got this pretty ruby in the back of his head." Hyeonja touched the back of her own head. "Apparently, if you knock it hard enough, he'll go out cold for a few minutes. Enough time to escape the room and swim on to the next one."

Hongjoong's expression morphed into intrigue, and he touched his lip with his finger. "Could one pry the ruby out of his head?"

"Oh yeah." Hyeonja nodded with purpose. "Take your cutlass and stab Milgo deep enough, and I have no doubt you could make him bleed out and die. It'd make a pretty penny, too."

"Aye," Hongjoong grinned from ear to ear and looked at the sky. "A  _ real _ pretty penny." Hyeonja's voice brought his eyes back to her. She looked excited.

"You'd be revered all over if you brought back that ruby, Captain."

"Aye, aye." Hongjoong laughed from his chest. It was an attractive sound to Hyeonja, so she bent her head a bit and closed her eyes to smile. While growing up, she noticed that boys laugh from their bellies and chests when they're truly content with something. Therefore, Hongjoong would be content with the good kind of fame that comes from bringing down a monster and returning with its treasure.

He'd become a legendary pirate and be offered a privateering license. Hyeonja had no idea of what Hongjoong actually wanted to achieve, in his pirating career, but from his reaction, she figured he'd be happy with a milestone like that. She was excited for him, and excited that she was helping him towards that fate. It was a much nicer one than what awaited them at Hermit's Mountain. Her cheerful outlook was shadowed upon thinking about the mountain. Hyeonja had no idea what they could actually do to change it, either. The mystery ate her thoughts, dissolving them like salt in warm water. She suddenly had no words filling her mind, and the bleak attitude she gave Hongjoong made him frown and lower his shoulders.

"Hyeonja... are you feeling alright?" Hongjoong asked. Hyeonja nodded with ghost-like motion. Hongjoong flexed the muscles of his right cheek to make a face, puzzling about what he could say to bring back the smile that had made  _ him _ smile. He considered this for a few seconds, then moved his hand closer to her lap and said, "Tell me about Jjijgi." Hongjoong spotted his hand and retracted it to his side.

Hyeonja slowly swept her gaze over to Hongjoong. Her lips parted, and her chest rose as she inhaled. She held her breath for a moment before releasing it with haste and shaking her head with small, quick movement. Hyeonja took another breath, her body rising and falling in a more relaxed manner. She nodded twice. "Of course, Captain."

"Jjijgi is a mysterious being. He is more so a being that a monster because we don't know how to defeat him. He doesn't like bright light, and he hisses and shies away from fire. You might find usable torches in his hollow left behind by previous explorers. You will certainly find many skeletons in that place. In case you don't find torches, take some in a latex or rubber sack."

"It's lucky that we  _ do _ have a few rubber sacks and torches, then." Hongjoong said, sweeping his eyes to the crew and his friends and back to Hyeonja. "What else, Hyeonja?"

"Jjijgi takes the form of a man made of black liquid. He comes from pools on the rock floor. He probably lives in the crevices of the cave like dirt in the wooden floor in a saloon. On the floor, it is sticky like syrup and has no smell. Mixed with water, it smells like piss. If you wash with a bit of soap, the smell goes away. When on fire, it reacts like paper and smells like a wet dog has been set on fire by some cruel bastard."

"That's an odd smell."

"It is, and humans pass out from overexposure to it. But I bet you knew that, Captain."

"Aye, I heard about that. Heard that you merfolk, elves and dwarves can't smell it and are unaffected by it. All of that is true, then?"

"Aye. And you know of the experiment a small group of Yubin sorcerers conducted in that room with a woman prisoner from Aetren who committed matricide, a little over a decade ago?"

"Aye, I do. The sorcerers donned enchanted masks to protect themselves from the fumes. They calculated that it takes six minutes for a human to pass out from the smell."

"Aye, that's right. If an unconscious person is not thrown into the water to wake up soon after, Jjijgi will spring from a pool and throw himself on that person. Both will disappear into the floor, making a new pool. The pools are big because the room can only fit thirty people, shoulder to shoulder. The rooms of Milgo and Giokja can fit maybe twice as many people and feel like the first room of a mansion, so it's like Jjijgi lives in a bedroom."

"So, how should we pass through Jjijga's room?"

"Do not run, and do not step in the puddles. If it impossible to advance, burn a puddle and stand in the water." Hyeonja said. Hongjoong nodded periodically throughout her explanation. "You will be wet, when you come into his room. He cannot grab onto wet surfaces. If you can, arm yourselves with torches and brush the flame against Jjijgi. But be wary, for he may grab the torch and hurt  _ you _ , or throw it away."

"If he feels too hot, he will sink into a puddle to hide for a short amount of time, but long enough for a small party to cross the room. There is no constant measure of how long Jjijgi hides, so be vigilant! If you enter with more than a handful of people, be prepared for Jjijgi to learn from your tactics. Though, it appears he gets amnesia about such things, at midnight. This may be why he is stuck in the cave, but like Giokja and Milgo, we haven't found any clues about why they came to or was brought to the cave." Hyeonja snapped her fingers, as if recalling something. "If one of your crew is a sorcerer, and he can wield fire, you have a fail proof method of escape!"

"Ah," Hongjoong clicked his tongue. "A sorcerer is something we do not have."

"Well then, you'll have to rely on the torches." Said Hyeonja. Hongjoong nodded. "That's all I have to give you. We... we really don't know if Jjijgi can die."

"If he can't, he isn't the only immortal being in this world." Hongjoong commented with a shrug. "Thank you, Hyeonja. That was most helpful. I'll relay this to my crew and see what we can come up with, to get passed our foes." Hyeonja nodded a few times. "Now, uh," He cleared his throat, and a little redness came to his cheeks. "I suppose you should cast your spell upon me, eh?"

Hyeonja bowed her head ever so slightly and exhaled through her nose. "Aye, I should, now that we're done talking." She politely placed her left hand on Hongjoong's shoulder and drew their bodies closer. She planted a gentle kiss on his right cheek, holding her lips to his flesh for more than a few seconds.

Hongjoong's face grew red. "I-Isn't that long enough?" When he finished speaking, Hyeonja used his shoulder to distance the two by an arm's length.

"I needed a second for each day, Captain. Sorry if that was embarrassing for you. Guess I should have said something about that, beforehand."

"Ah," Hongjoong waved a hand. "It's fine, Hyeonja."

"Let's see if it worked. If you feel something on your cheek, it was successful." Hyeonja said. She placed her right hand on her cheek. Hongjoong started, feeling a light weight on his own right cheek. "You feel it, yeah?"

Hongjoong hummed, nodding faintly and touching his cheek with his fingers. "Can you see anything from that? Or feel anything about me, I mean?"

"Aye, I can tell that you're in good health, for a pirate. Your organs sound fine, though you need some greens."

Hongjoong laughed. "Don't we all?"

Hyeonja laughed, too. "Aye, Captain. I'm not trained enough in my power to tell you things like how long you've been at sea, how much sleep you had last night, or what your last thought was, before you slept."

Hongjoong raised his eyebrows. "You can tell  _ all that _ from that little spell?"

"Aye, Captain. But no spell is little. They all take years of practice, you see. I bet you've heard stories of merfolk and sorcerers harming themselves and even others from using their powers without practice."

"Aye, I have."

"I've got a common power with a common String, the power being touching another person and the String being teleportation. One of the earliest times I used my powers, I wanted to go home without swimming all the way. So I kissed my baby brother in his crib, and..." Hyeonja paused for a whole second, and swallowed. "Well, he lived, but I knocked his bed over and the baby fell on the floor." Hongjoong clicked his tongue in pity.

"I'll never forget how livid my ma and pa were. I rushed my brother to the hospital to make sure he'd be OK, but soon after, the poor baby couldn't hold himself up in my ma's arms. The doctor thought it would gonna affect his mobility and speech, 'cause of the head trauma. And, it did: my brother doesn't swim well on his own, even though he's five and he should be zipping 'round like a sea snake. My parents are still angry at me for it, for being so lazy and thinking of using my brother as a way-point."

"What does your brother think of it? Does he know?"

"Aye, he knows. My parents speak bitterly about it to him, though, yelling and all red in the face. I wouldn't be surprised if he says _ 'I hate you' _ when he makes up his mind."

"And what if he doesn't?"

Hyeonja tilted her head. "Huh?"

"What if he doesn't, I said."

"Oh, no." Hyeonja let out a breath. "Sorry, Captain. I heard you clearly. I just don't see how my brother will have a different perspective than the one my parents forced upon him."

"He's a boy, ain't he?"

"Aye, he is."

"Ain't he the type to do what he likes, instead of always obeying his parents? Like most boys his age?"

Hyeonja considered that for a moment, then nodded. "Aye, he is. Acts like a boy his age, he does."

"Then maybe stop worrying so much about hearing him say  _ 'I hate you' _ and think about what you can do to make him like you. Did you ever tell him  _ your _ side of the tale?"

Hyeonja nodded slowly, her memories piecing things together. "Aye, I did. And he said he..." She huffed and bowed her head. "Ah, I forgot that and went back to my old view about this story."

"He _did_ say he forgave me, when I told him it was an accident and that I was truly sorry, that I'd been doing my best as a big sister, since then. Ma was a bit surprised to hear that. She came in the room as we were talking. He said it was his choice to forgive me, and that she was glad he knew how to forgive others, like she taught us. I asked _'But you haven't forgiven me, have you?'_ , and she said _'A little bit, just now, yes.'_. So I apologize for making that story seem so sad, Captain. I think my brain's a bit scrambled from all this talking."

"Ah, I understand, Hyeonja." Hongjoong reached to gingerly pat Hyeonja's left shoulder. "You were saying that you need to be careful where you land, when you use your power."

"Aye," Hyeonja sighed, nodding. "I was. 'Cause if you need me, when I come out of the water with my legs, I might land on one of yours and cause a ruckus."

"Aye, I can see that. Do you practice, at home?"

Hyeonja shook her head. "No, Captain. We're not allowed to use magic, in my house. For good reason, my ma and pa are fearful of making life hard on ourselves by getting into trouble. My sister's power is Lemon Water. That's another common power and string, as I'm sure you know."

Hongjoong nodded several times. "Purifying water and giving it a flavour in the process, aye."

"Aye, that's the one. My parents powers are Spring Step, so when they jump, they can go up by five or six feet like an elf. My brother hasn't shown any signs of having a power, yet. We hope he has one.  _ I _ hope I didn't knock it out of him."

Hongjoong laughed lightly. "Hyeonja, you can't  _ knock _ a power out of someone. You'd have to suck it out of them with a spell, you must know."

Hyeonja sighed and nodded. "Aye, I do. Ahhh," She rubbed her face with both hands. Hongjoong was astonished at how she could hold herself up without her hands. He then remembered that merfolk have remarkably strong cores from swimming. "I'm chewing the fat."

Hyeonja dropped her hands on the sand and looked Hongjoong in the eye. "We've done what we said we'd do, and you've got to get sailing! It'll be late in the night by the time you reach Fool's Cave, now."

"Aye, you're right, Hyeonja. It's time to part." Hongjoong said, grunting amidst his words as he grabbed the ink and quill and got to his feet. He smiled down at the mermaid. "Thank you kindly for the map and your kiss. I hope I don't need you, in the cave. It'd be a danger to your life too, if you came."

Hyeonja smiled. "I hope so too, Captain. Until we meet in Mendol, goodbye!"

"Goodbye, Hyeonja." Hongjoong replied. Hyeonja hopped around on her hands until her elbows were in the water, then she grabbed onto the sand to pull herself head first into the deeper part of the shallow water. The back of her shirt was held together with bronze hoops that were thick as the buckle of a belt, and the front of her shirt was tied in a knot at the back. When her torso was bathed in water, her gills appeared and faintly moved. As Hyeonja swam around the bow, Hongjoong glanced up to see Yeosang watching the mermaid.

Hongjoong marched into the water, sloshing over to the ladder and grabbing onto its steps. He arrived at the top and Seonghwa helped him over. He gave a sigh as he set foot on deck and began to wring out the bottoms of his tan coloured trousers. "All right, let's get out of here. Get cracking!"

"Aye, Captain!" Chorused the crew. Some sprang to their positions at the rigging, and others went below deck. By the type Hongjoong stood at the wheel and Seonghwa stood behind him, leaning on the railing again, the anchor was being hauled on deck.

Hongjoong looked up to the crow's nest and hollered, "Where is the wind, Yeosang?"

"West, hyung!"

"Not bad, but not quite where we want it. We'll keep leeway south, then."

"Aye, hyung!" Yeosang responded.

"Leeway south!" Shouted the assembly. Hongjoong felt the ship start to move, and so did his thoughts of what was to come. This was good, he thought. He would need a clear mind, within too long.


	2. Fool's Cave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The smut in this chapter is plot relevant and skippable. All smut that I write serves a purpose and is never for likes. I am not a shipper. I invest my time into reading fanfiction about ships to learn about romance better than many published books are able to, as well as it being a pastime of mine.
> 
> IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SKIP THE SMUT, PLEASE LOOK FOR THE FOLLOWING WORDS. THIS SCENE IS 2219 WORDS LONG.
> 
> Scene Starts At: "Ah, you're such a flirt, love." Hongjoong teased.
> 
> (The sentences before the above can be seen as platonic and are thus not included.)
> 
> Next Scene Begins At: A blue flame appeared in the gold sconce.

**T** he sky was almost as dark as the ocean, when the ship came upon the obstacles between her and the cave. The stars and moon made the skin of everyone onboard glow like fairies. The crew had done all they could to slow their advancement. They shouted to the captain how close or far away they were from the rocks. This went on for approximately fifteen minutes. They lowered anchor on the right side of the cave's entrance, a respectable distance from a long-wrecked ship.

Six by six, the pirates rowed into the mouth of the cave. It was about six meters tall and four meters wide. Short stalactites hung from the ceiling, and a few stalagmites lined the walls. The two dozen pirates plus Hongjoong, Seonghwa and the other six boys didn't leave much room in the rocky floored hollow. There was a somewhat narrow path on the far side, to the right. One of the crew held a torch in the mouth of the crevice as Yeosang and Hongjoong looked ahead.

"Our only way in..." Hongjoong muttered.

"We can squeeze through, hyung." Said Yeosang. "You can see where the rock has been busted to be wider with what I assume to be hammers."

"Aye, I can spot a few places that look man-made."

"We'll have to duck our heads in a few places, but it looks safe. I don't see any burrows where creatures could come out and attack us. The map says it's a short, clear path, anyway."

"Aye. Let's go, then." Hongjoong said. The man holding the torch gave it to Yeosang, then moved out of the way. Hongjoong turned his body sideways and shuffled into the hallway, Seonghwa and Yeosang following and the others coming behind.

It took a little more than two minutes for them to pass through, and then they were in a room a little more than twice the size of the one they had come from. The stalactites here were longer, the stalagmites more in number. Seonghwa detached his silver framed lantern from his belt and dipped it in the water of the tunnel on the left side of the wall ahead. He nodded. "There's no danger, here."

"The map doesn't show eels in _any_ of the tunnels. There _shouldn't_ be any danger, there." Replied Hongjoong.

Seonghwa nodded in response. "I just wanted to be sure." Hongjoong thought of Seonghwa's distaste for Hyeonja. He probably didn't trust the modifications to the map she'd made. For the nth time that day, Hongjoong pushed aside that fact to focus on the task at hand.

"Let's go, everyone." Said Hongjoong, stepping into the water and sloshing forth until he was deep enough to swim. The others followed him as there was room. Hongjoong only had to stroke a few times before he had to dive. It was dark ahead, but Hongjoong could make out that the tunnel was wide enough for two to swim beside each other.

He peeked behind him and saw Seonghwa on his tail. The lantern gave a gentle yellow glow. The captain and first mate met eyes as Seonghwa reached where Hongjoong had paused. Hongjoong continued with Seonghwa beside him. Hongjoong looked on the right wall of the tunnel for a niche. There was supposed to be an air pocket, a little more than halfway.

Sure enough, Hongjoong spotted a dip in the wall that could fit the length of a table about eleven strokes into the tunnel. Hongjoong approached it and surfaced. He had a moment to observe the hollow as Seonghwa came up for air. Once Seonghwa's head was above water Hongjoong said, "So there isn't anything here, after all. At least we can stand and rest our feet."

"I'm surprised the fish was truthful, up to this point." Seonghwa said. Yeosang and Yunho surfaced a little further in the hole.

Hongjoong rolled his eyes, then widened his eyes, realizing he'd rolled his eyes about the subject in front of his first mate. He planted his feet on the floor. The water came up to the top of his shoulders. "Seonghwa, I—"

"Whatever, Hongjoong." Seonghwa stomped his feet to stand. There was a foot of clearance above his head. "If you choose the fish over me and kill us all," Seonghwa glared at Yeosang and Yunho. "That's _your_ fault. Not mine."

Yeosang and Yunho glanced at each other. Yunho mouthed _'We should go'_. Yeosang nodded and said to his captain, "There's another air pocket on the left side a little further, and then we'll be in the next room, right?"

"Aye. Think you'll be able to find it all right?"

"Yeah. I can see the best out of all of us, remember?"

Hongjoong nodded a little. "Right. We'll catch up in a minute." Yunho and Yeosang nodded, then dove and swam out. Hongjoong sighed. "Do you really think she'd forge lies and endanger our lives, Seonghwa? We're going to meet in Mendol to see what we can do, get to know each other better." Partway through his sentence, San and Mingi poked their heads above water.

"I said enough on our way here, didn't I?" Hongjoong said. San pulled his lips apart to bare his teeth at Mingi, who also scowled, nodding. San ducked his head underwater, Mingi ensued, and they left. "How many times more do I need to say that we'll be fine if we keep our heads on our shoulders?"

"No more." Seonghwa scoffed. "I get it. She's probably not the kind of person I think she is. I heard you talking, we _all_ did. She seemed like she's a good person."

"You remember what she said about _you_ , don't you?" Hongjoong raised a brow. Seonghwa closed his eyes and bit into his lip. Wooyoung and Jongho surfaced. They looked at their hyungs for a moment.

"Bad time?" Wooyoung guessed.

"Yup." Replied Seonghwa.

"OK, see you on the other side." Then Wooyoung and Jongho dove and exited the alcove.

Seonghwa sighed. "Yeah, I remember. I'm not even spiteful of fish because of my own life. It's not _my_ brother that died." A pair of crewmates came up for air. They gave a quick look to their leaders, and one of them decided it was best not to linger and lead their partner out.

"I just find it hard to believe that there's any hope we'll make it out of this calamity." Two more pirates surfaced. They didn't even pause to look at Hongjoong and Seonghwa. "You also lied and left the ship to meet her." Hongjoong averted his eyes.

"It feels like you're chasing after this fish like she's what you've been searching for all your life instead of what we promised." Hongjoong flicked his eyes up, hearing Seonghwa's arms splash the water. Hongjoong glimpsed one of the next pair of men flinching as they came to the air pocket. Seonghwa covered his face with his hands while these two poked their heads above water. He was quiet, waiting for the two pirates to leave to speak again. "I'm just worried, Hongjoong."

Hongjoong said nothing, for a moment. "I understand, Seonghwa."

" _Do you_?" Seonghwa punched his arms into the water, splashing his friend. "Do you really? 'Cause I'm _this close_ to talking with the others to see if _we_ want to go to Mendol—" The next two came up for oxygen. "—And continue this doomed story or force our way out of it." Seonghwa panted.

The men paused and looked at each other. Hongjoong felt his blood leave his head. "What do you... mean?" One of the pirates gestured with a finger to go back down, and the other nodded with a face, then they exited.

Seonghwa swallowed hard. He thought about what he'd just blurted out. "I... I didn't mean I'm seriously thinking of mutiny, Hongjoong. I meant I'm worried about us. You know what, I might even be a little worried about our fish. Just..." Seonghwa coughed out a breath and held a hand to his temple. The next two pirates surfaced, not pausing to look at their leaders. "Ugh, we've talked about how none of us want this, too."

"Had your fill of fat?" Hongjoong smirked.

Seonghwa sighed and nodded. "Yeah." Another two men surfaced, one of them lingering for a second before following his partner.

"Well, _that's_ good. Saves our storyteller a lot of work, and _us_ a headache. Much less a _mutiny_?" Hongjoong chuckled. "Seonghwa, what happened?"

Seonghwa chuckled along with his friend. "I don't know." He rubbed his face. "I thought _'mermaid, black ocean, danger'_ and stopped thinking, after then."

"Well then," Hongjoong reached across and placed his hand on Seonghwa's shoulder. "Let's resume thinking, shall we?" Seonghwa nodded, smiling a little. The two dove back into the tunnel and passed the oncoming pair of crew as they continued for another fifteen strokes to reach the next air pocket. They refilled their lungs, then dipped back underwater and swam on for a little more than twenty strokes before they were able to stand in four foot deep waters.

 _This_ room was twice as big as the previous and had no rock formations. Its rock floor was smooth, and there were black metal sconces between the doors. The left wall had two doors, the closest closed with stone etched with a magic circle and the other open with a hall that went forwards. The other wall had three closed off doors with more magic circles. The wall ahead of the tunnel was scrawled with markings.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa sloshed their way out of the water and onto the rocky floor, meeting with the boys in the middle of the room. They had relighted four of the eight torches they had, which they had stored in the sacs on their belts before swimming. The sound of the remaining eight pirates coming out of the tunnel occasionally rose to fill the air. "Have you looked at what's ahead, after that open hallway?" Hongjoong asked.

"The fourth room. Last one before Giokja." Answered Yunho. "The map was right about that, too."

"We're still going to try and sneak past him, right?" Asked Mingi.

Hongjoong nodded. "Aye, that's still our plan. We don't have a mage in our ranks, so we can't have a peek into these rooms." He looked about the room at the sealed doors. "We can fight Giokja like Hyeonja suggested, if it comes to it, but we need to find what we came for and leave as soon as possible."

"Aye, hyung."

"Hyung, come and look at this." San said. He, Jongho, Wooyoung and Yeosang stood in front of the far wall. Hongjoong lead Seonghwa, Mingi, Yunho and some of the crew to where the four stood. "It's a mess, but we think there's some helpful information here. Well," San looked at Yeosang. "Yeosang does. Wooyoung, Jongho and I can't read elvish or dwarvish that well."

"Yeah, I can only read, like, half of this." Said Jongho.

"I can read even _less_." Wooyoung added. Hongjoong tilted his head up to look at the writings. The main writings, in the center of the wall, were in elvish. The text was large and thick.

_Toreasanire chomoesa phromo bhachkhrniesa',_

_Bunto phikre dinoesa nioto khrikh' tohe mo'onisatoer_

_Waahikch'h hasa nio hearto bunto hasa onie Satoriknig._

_Tohusa, be waa'aryi!_

_Bunto ikph tohe hasato Beachoni sahikniesa oni tohato,_

_Tohiksa pehache waaikh' be ch'heanisaedin_

_Anidin ah' yih'owaa eyiedin phisah sahah' be phreedin._

Hongjoong took his time to read each word aloud. "' _Treasure... comes from... blackness, But fire does not kill the... monster Which has no heart but has one... String.'_?" He looked at Yeosang, who nodded.

" _'Thus, be wary!'_ " Yeosang read. " _'But if the last Beacon shines on that, This place will be cleansed And all yellow eyed fish shall be freed.'_ "

"Boy am I glad you went to school." Hongjoong laughed, patting Yeosang's shoulder. Yeosang giggled, smiling.

"So if Hyeonja comes here and meets Jjijgi or something," Wooyoung said. "Jjijgi and the others will die, and the sirens will be free?"

"Sounds about right." Replied Yeosang.

"Doesn't this also mean that Jjijgi is a source of treasure?" San questioned.

"Probably, considering the first line of this poem."

"We should bring her here some time, then." Hongjoong declared. Finally, all of the crew had gathered in the room.

"Hyeonja?" Said Yunho. Hongjoong nodded.

"That might be a good idea. If she learns her powers, it might be possible." Yeosang said.

"So if Jjijgi dies, will this place suddenly fill with treasure?" Seonghwa asked.

"Maybe." Hongjoong replied. "His room, for sure. Which _might_ be dangerous to stand in, when he kicks the bucket, taking that into consideration." The boys and pirates laughed.

"I hated learning dwarvish," Yeosang said. "So I can only read _some_ of this. It doesn't help that the writing is cramped. There's more elvish beneath it, though." The writing in question was on the right side of the elvish.

_Yaoum aorae phools! Tohe hasato Bibeaocony shaoll bibetora'aoya yaoum!_

_Leaove tohe meonystoeras, phoragieto tohe toraeaosumrae aonyd gio home'e!_

Beneath this was the other elvish writing, in a lighter form:

_Yioun are tohe phools. Yioun dino nioto behikeve. Torusato tohe hasato Beachoni. Torusato her phatoe._

Wooyoung was looking at the wall when he inhaled and turned his eyes to the ceiling. Jongho inquired, "What is it, Wooyoung-hyung?"

"Oh, nothing." Wooyoung cleared his throat.

Hongjoong lowered his eyelids at Wooyoung. "What does it say, Wooyoung?" Wooyoung bit the inside of his bottom lip. Hongjoong strode over to him, arms crossed, and stood behind Wooyoung. "What does it say?" Hongjoong repeated, hoarsely.

"It says," Wooyoung swallowed. He didn't turn his head to Hongjoong. " _'You are fools! The last Beacon shall betray you! Leave the monsters, forget the treasure and go home!'_ "

The other boys looked shocked. Yeosang lifted his fingers to his lips. Seonghwa's expression was baffled, his eyes in the corner of the ceiling in thought. The pirates seemed surprised and looked among themselves. Some shrugged to each other.

"And the elvish beneath it?" Hongjoong commanded.

" _'You are the fools. You do not believe. Trust the last Beacon. Trust her fate.'_ "

"Hm." Hongjoong slowly bobbed his head from side to side as he walked in front of Wooyoung and stopped. "What haven't you told us, Wooyoung? Are you a wizard?" Wooyoung shook his head. Hongjoong could tell the boy was having a hard time swallowing.

"Then what _are_ you?" Wooyoung closed his eyes and pouted. Hongjoong stared at Wooyoung's face for the five seconds it took for Wooyoung to open his eyes again. When their eyes met, Wooyoung tucked in his bottom lip, his eyes started to water. Hongjoong lowered his shoulders, sighing silently. "Then _what's wrong_?"

Wooyoung gulped, wiping his eyes with the back of his index fingers. "I know a _little_ bit of magic, but I'm not a wizard. I can read anything I want to and understand it. I can't open these doors." He looked behind him, sweeping his eyes across the area and back to Hongjoong. "That'd require a different kind of magic. This is just something I don't like revealing to people."

Hongjoong connected the dots immediately. "Ah." He tilted his head back. "I understand, Wooyoung. I'm not angry at you. That's actually very useful." He smiled a little. Wooyoung mirrored him. "Do you know what kind of magic we'd need to open those doors, though?"

"Yeah." Wooyoung pivoted on one foot to stand sideways so he could look. "The first one on the left spells _'to'omob'_ —tomb—and _'dinaniger'_ —danger. It'd be easy for someone with Walker powers to enter, but there must be a monster sleeping inside, or something."

"That sounds sensible enough." Hongjoong replied, coming to stand on Wooyoung's left, between him and Jongho. "What about the other doors?"

"The next one says _'satoaikrsa'_ —stairs."

Hongjoong peaked his eyebrows. "There's a lower level to the cave?"

Wooyoung nodded. "It also says _'saikrenisa'_ —sirens."

"Ah, so _that's_ where they sleep, maybe?"

"I'm not surprised." Seonghwa said. "We're not that far from Hermit Mountain. It would take the sirens half an hour to reach the mountain, if they made haste."

"The other door on that side says _'emopetoyi'_ —empty." Wooyoung said.

"Probably been looted, then." Said Hongjoong. He raised a brow, snapping his eyes to the other side of the room. "And the other side?"

"They also read _'empty'_."

"Wonder 'ow 'onest these circles be." Said one of the pirates.

"Yeah," San said. "They might say _'empty'_ to keep people out because the mages who made them stashed things inside."

"Aye." Replied Hongjoong. "But we'd best leave all of this alone and go on. Thanks, Wooyoung." He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and rubbed the joint with a small smile.

Wooyoung grinned back. "Let's go, everyone!" The crew said _'yarrr'_ and cheered in response, following their captain and Seonghwa into the hallway. It was almost wide enough for two people to walk side by side but was only long enough for the eight boys and four of the pirates to stand inside. So most of the crew stayed in the third room, some squatting and sitting on the floor to rest their legs.

The fourth room was about the size of the last and almost had no stalactites or stalagmites. It had a tan coloured floor with elven carvings in many sizes. There were three golden doors that had no handles on the far end of the hollow. A deep pool with little stalactites was on the right, a good fifteen paces from the door. The passable crevice on the left wall was a few meters away from the leftmost door. There were more sconces on both sides of the doorway into this area.

"Well, _this_ is interesting." Stated Yunho.

"And _exactly_ —" Hongjoong pointed to the rightmost door. "—Where we need to be."

"What do you think, Wooyoung?" Seonghwa asked, looking at the younger boy. "The writing on the floor, I mean."

"They're a bunch of words. None of them form a sentence, the way they're laid out." Wooyoung replied.

"A puzzle, then?" Seonghwa swung his head to look at Hongjoong. They both raised their brows.

"We expected this, too." Hongjoong said. Seonghwa nodded, pulling out something from the pouch attached to the back of his belt. It was a folded piece of parchment, which he unfolded and held in front of himself. "Wooyoung, would you tell us if you can see the following words on the floor?"

"Of course, hyung."

Hongjoong moved his eyes from the paper to Wooyoung's face. "We'll give you three at a time. There are nine of them. Just ask if you need us to repeat them." Wooyoung nodded.

" _Moikrachhe_ , _dinare_ , _ch'haniche_." Seonghwa read, then looked at Wooyoung, whose eyes danced across the floor. Hongjoong also looked at Wooyoung.

"There's _dinare_..." Wooyoung vaguely pointed at the left side of the floor.

"By the corner?" Yeosang asked.

"Yeah, right in the corner. It's on the side, vertically. Uh, _moikrachhe_ , _moikrachhe_... oh!" Wooyoung pointed near the pool with his other hand. "Over there. It's the little one by the water." He looked to his captain and Seonghwa. "And _ch'haniche_?"

"Yep." Seonghwa answered.

"Mm... uh... oh, pfft." Wooyoung pointed to one of the words to the left of where the hallway ended. "Right here."

"OK." Hongjoong said, nodding. " _Ikh'niesa'_ , _hove_ , _waaratoh_."

" _Ikh'niesa'_ , _ikh'ni_... geez, there's lots of _'i'_ words here."

"Where are you looking?" Yeosang asked.

"In the middle."

" _Ikh'niesa'_... mm—oh! I see it. Look above _iknisaikdine_. It's so small..."

"Oh, I see it now! Uh," Wooyoung looked to Hongjoong and Seonghwa. " _Hove_ and what?"

" _Waaratoh_."

" _Waaratoh_ , OK."

"Found _hove_!" San exclaimed, looking to the others excitedly.

"Where?" Yeosang inquired.

"It's kind of in the middle, below _ahe_. It's part of _hove_."

Yeosang hummed, searching on the ground for the words. Wooyoung also hummed, his tone higher. "I _think_ I see it?" Said Jongho. "Is it by, uh... s- _saex_?"

"Pfft!" San bent down, holding a hand over his mouth. He and Wooyoung giggled ferociously. The other boys and pirates laughed, too. Jongho made his hands into fists, his cheeks flush in embarrassment.

"I-I mean, _yes_ , now that I see where you were looking, but you... I didn't think you would say that word so loudly, Jongho-ah." Yeosang said, patting the boy's back lightly.

"I'm going back to the ship..." Jongho mumbled, lowering his head and taking a few steps up the hallway before smiling and waving a hand.

"OK, now:" Hongjoong said, coughing as he forced his laughter away. "Where's _waaratoh_?"

Wooyoung swallowed hard. "It's in the center." The crew quickly settled their voices.

"Huh?" Yeosang furrowed his brow and gave Wooyoung a look. "No, it's not."

"It's safe to walk, isn't it?" Wooyoung asked his captain.

Hongjoong shrugged. "I don't know. I wouldn't risk i—" Hongjoong's mouth was left open as the pirates watched Wooyoung stride forward and stop in the center of the room. His footsteps and clothes darkened the floor into a pretty bronze.

"I'm _sure_ it's here, hyung."

"You little shit." Seonghwa muttered.

"I _heeeard_ that, hyung." Sang Wooyoung. Seonghwa shook his head and kept a scowl on his face.

"OK, well how do you know waaratoh is _there_ , Wooyooung?" Hongjoong asked.

Yeosang shook his head. "I don't see it." He walked into the room. Seonghwa reached out his left arm, letting that half of the paper fall, but snatched it up when Yeosang turned to look behind him. "There are only twenty-three words spelled out on the floor." He stopped in front of Wooyoung. " _Where_ are you seeing this magic _waaratoh_? A giant _eyie_ is here, not _waaratoh_."

" _Think_ about it, Yeosang! Noran Nun, _eye_ ," Wooyoung pointed to his own eye. " _Wrath_."

Yeosang tilted his head and gazed at the ceiling. "Noran Nun..." He lowered his eyes back to his friend. "There was a door labelled _sirens_ in the last room. And the scripture talked about the monster and yellow eyed fish."

"So this is where _waaratoh_ is!" Wooyoung proclaimed.

"You know what?" Hongjoong said, drawing the attention of the two. "I think you're right. Let's find the other words, then get to work. Seonghwa? It's your turn."

"Right." Seonghwa nodded, swallowing his stress. "The last words are _reahiktoyi_ , _ch'hoikche_ and _moehodinyi_."

" _Ch'hoikche_ is attached to _ch'haniche_." Wooyoung said. "It's facing this way, vertically."

"I _think_ I saw _reahiktoyi_ over..." Yeosang wandered closer to the left wall, coming to a stop several feet away from the wall. "Here? It was right by... oh! Here it is." He shuffled a little closer to the corridor.

"Found _moehodinyi_." Wooyoung said, walking to the top right corner of the area. "Tiny."

"Are you sure that's where melody is?" Asked Hongjoong.

Wooyoung nodded. "There's nowhere else for it to be, and I thought I saw something here when I walked out. Do you want to bring some light over here to see?"

"Yeah." Hongjoong turned to his crew, holding out a hand. Someone quickly gave him a torch, then Hongjoong progressed into the room, Yeosang coming over as well. Hongjoong stopped beside Wooyoung. "Oh, you're right." Once Yeosang was with Wooyoung and Hongjoong and saw the word, he nodded. "All right, let's get started."

Seonghwa folded the paper and swapped it for a small sack closed by a pull string. He and one of the pirates came into the room, and Wooyoung and Yeosang parted to make room for Seonghwa. Hongjoong passed the torch to the pirate who'd come with Seonghwa. Seonghwa opened the bag and took an eyeball from it. "Huh. You know what I just realized?" Seonghwa said, looking over his shoulder. "That _is_ where _waaratoh_ is."

"Yeah!" Wooyoung replied. "Because of the eyeballs we need." Seonghwa nodded. He bent his knees and put the eyeball on the _moehodinyi_. The word glowed yellow like the light of a lantern. 

Seonghwa stood and nodded to Hongjoong, who returned the gesture. The small group made their way around the room to the other words, and each time Seonghwa placed an eyeball on the floor. When the ninth word was alight, the three doors slid down into the floor, metal squeaking against metal. "Come on, boys!" Hongjoong called, throwing his head to the hall.

Seonghwa sprang to his feet, pocketing the sack, and followed Hongjoong, Yeosang, Wooyoung and the crewmate to the rightmost door. The other four boys jogged into the room with seven of the pirates. The eighth pirate called for those in the third room to join them. They loitered in the room as the captain, first mate and pirate entered the room. There was a queen sized bed, its feet facing the door and its wooden framework black with an elaborate headboard. The bedding was gold and looked exquisitely comfortable.

The pirate sid the torch into the sconce on the right side of the door and exited. There was a golden one on the opposite side. "Thanks, mate." Hongjoong said.

"Ye be welcome, cap'n." Replied the pirate. Seonghwa brought out the knife from its cover on his belt and stood at the edge of where the door was embedded in the floor. He pricked his left palm with the blade, hissing. Seonghwa watched a few drops of blood fall on the door, then passed the knife to Hongjoong and stepped back, opening his pouch for bandages.

Hongjoong cut his left palm, cringing his eyes for the briefest of moments. He watched his blood fall, then jumped back as the door slammed shut, sealing them inside. Seonghwa flinched from the sound, pulling a little too hard on the end of his bandage. He grit his teeth in pain and began to loosen the bandage to relieve his hand of the unintentional pressure. The fire of the torch flared in the wind but didn't go out.

"Oof, that would have been bad." Hongjoong commented, shifting his head to look at Seonghwa, who loosened. Seonghwa held out his uninjured hand and gave Hongjoong the other strip of bandage he had prepared. As Hongjoong quickly wrapped his hand, Seonghwa went into his bag and found clear tape. He pulled on its stub with his fingers calmly while Hongjoong cleaned the knife with the handkerchief in a pocket within his coat.

Seonghwa pulled on the tape and held the top corner of the part. Hongjoong cut off the piece with the knife. Seonghwa took Hongjoong's hand into his own, pressed the tape onto his bandage, and kissed it. Hongjoong blushed. Seonghwa smiled brightly.

"Ah, you're such a flirt, love." Hongjoong teased. Seonghwa giggled and ripped on the roll of tape again, and Hongjoong cut off the piece, chuckling along. Seonghwa placed this piece of tape on his own bandage as Hongjoong slid the knife into Seonghwa's belt. Seonghwa sighed and lowered his hand, and gazed into Hongjoong's eyes.

"You look pretty, Hongjoong." The captain smiled so widely that his cheeks started to hurt. He bowed his chin and fluttered his eyelids as he held his aching cheeks in his hands. Seonghwa smiled softly and closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around Hongjoong's small waist and entwining his fingers to lock Hongjoong there. Hongjoong raised his head, mooning over the magical, starry effect Seonghwa's eyes had in the dim lighting, admiring the glow of his skin and the small beads of sweat around his neck and temple.

Seonghwa fawned over Hongjoong's gorgeous eyes that captured the light like glass orbs, trailed his delicate nose that gleamed in the firelight and stayed on his lips. Seonghwa moved his face closer, brushing his lips against Hongjoong's. Hongjoong parted his lips and had a tiny taste of Seonghwa, and Seonghwa opened his lips to allow the kiss. Their mouths moved slowly together, the quiet noises of flesh parting and closing scarcely reaching their ears, yet the sound was the item the boys first focused on. Seonghwa gently bit on Hongjoong's bottom lip, earning a small gasp from the other.

Hongjoong understood and opened his mouth more. Seonghwa slipped his tongue in, rubbing and circling his tongue with Hongjoong's and pulling him closer. Hongjoong put his arms around Seonghwa's neck, closing his fingers together. "Your hands are cold." Seonghwa whispered.

"We just finished swimming." Hongjoong answered.

"Do you want me to warm you up?"

"Mhm." Hongjoong nodded. Seonghwa moved his hands to Hongjoong's ass and gave a brief squeeze. Hongjoong moaned from the top of his head and threw his head back. Seonghwa bit his lip and hiked Hongjoong's leg up around his hip, peeling off Hongjoong's coat and placing it on the edge of the bed before discarding his own jacket and throwing it on top.

Hongjoong jumped and swung his legs around Seonghwa, making out with his collarbone and neck. Seonghwa groaned and stroked Hongjoong's back, unbuckling the redhead's belt and dropping it. He strode to the foot of the bed and tipped Hongjoong onto its edge. He grabbed Hongjoong's shoes and pulled them off, dropping them and not paying mind to where they fell. Hongjoong smirked and backed up while Seonghwa stepped out of his shoes and rid himself of his belt.

Seonghwa hung their coats on the hook nailed into the bedpost, then crawled onto the bed. Hongjoong laid with his arms spread apart, watching the older boy approach and stop below him. Their pupils danced with each other in the dull light, eager to begin. Seonghwa held Hongjoong's thighs and made eye contact, applying a bit of pressure as he spoke. "You're gonna be a little colder, before you get hot."

"I know." Hongjoong smiled with his eyes.

"You ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Seonghwa pulled himself a little further upwards, kissing Hongjoong passionately as he undid Hongjoong's zipper and tugging on his pants until Seonghwa could throw them away. Hongjoong said _'brr'_ and shivered, pressing his thighs against his chest and creating friction with his hands to warm the side of his legs. Seonghwa caressed the underside of his legs at a slower pace, enjoying the feeling of Hongjoong's skin on his own.

"Why don't we..." Seonghwa trailed off, picking up the top of the blanket and yanking it down, then flaring it up and covering Hongjoong and himself with it. Hongjoong hummed and grabbed part of the blanket, holding it close and rubbing his legs more. Seonghwa freed himself of his trousers, casting them on the floor. He unbuttoned his shirt slowly, staring into Hongjoong's eyes.

"Stop teasing me." Hongjoong said, kicking his left leg and grazing Seonghwa's side. Seonghwa chuckled lowly, speeding up his action and throwing his top away. He put his hands beneath Hongjoong's shirt, and Hongjoong shivered briefly while Seonghwa lifted up his shirt. Hongjoong sat up and lifted his arms to help Seonghwa, who stripped Hongjoong of the clothing and dropped it somewhere. "OK, _now_ I'm cold." Hongjoong crossed his arms over his shoulders.

"Well then, open up." Seonghwa replied. Hongjoong groaned, opening his arms and slinking them around Seonghwa's neck. Seonghwa lowered his body, wrapping his arms around Hongjoong's waist and touching his forehead against Hongjoong's. The redhead hummed in content, feeling Seonghwa's heartbeat and his member against his pelvis. "Better?"

"A little, yeah." Seonghwa sighed, waiting until Hongjoong's body heat rose with his own and they were considerably warmer. Seonghwa muttered an _'OK'_ and sniffled, moving his hands to the waistband of Hongjoong's briefs and slipping them off, dropping them on the floor.

"Are you _sure_ you wanna throw that away so carelessly?" Hongjoong lowered his legs a little.

Seonghwa pumped his brow. "What, do you think it's going to steal your underwear?"

Hongjoong laughed. "No, I just _heard_ that they like to steal clothes."

"You're not a fair maiden, Hongjoong." Seonghwa grinned.

"Am I not a fair boy?" Hongjoong said, cheeky.

Seonghwa laughed in response, tucking his head down. "Would you like me to pick them up and keep them on the bed, _my fair boy_?"

"Yes, please."

"All right." Seonghwa grunted, pulling back and bending down to pick up the underwear and placing them at the end of the bed. "You're not worried they're going to fall off, are you?" Seonghwa asked, flipping back onto Hongjoong and holding him closely.

"Mm..." Hongjoong pursed his lips and bobbed his head on the pillow. "Nah, they'll be fine."

"OK." Seonghwa chuckled, parting his body from Hongjoong's to take off his briefs and putting them next to Hongjoong's. Hongjoong promptly put his hand around Seonghwa's shaft, pumping it with a bit of a squeeze. Seonghwa grunted and threw himself forward, catching himself on his hands and staring into Hongjoong's eyes as the younger boy worked on him. "You've been waiting for this, angel?"

"Ugh, so much." Hongjoong pecked his lips. Seonghwa kissed him passionately, wanting to taste Hongjoong more. Hongjoong took a deep breath, then shoved his tongue past Seonghwa's lips and moved his hand faster along Seonghwa's dick. Seonghwa moaned and held onto Hongjoong's hips, squeezing the flesh a little tighter than was necessary to get a whimper from Hongjoong.

"Feel me, Seonghwa." Whispered Hongjoong. Seonghwa ran his hands up Hongjoong's abdomen, pausing at his nipples and flicking them with his thumbs. Hongjoong gasped a little, his breath shortening. Seonghwa kissed him there, lapping Hongjoong's nipple with his tongue as his right hand pinched the other nipple. Hongjoong moaned abruptly, letting go of his cock and grabbing Seonghwa's shoulders, massaging his muscles.

Seonghwa moved his kisses down Hongjoong's body and paid special attention to his v-line. He separated Hongjoong's legs a little to access his inner thighs and the area around his privates. Hongjoong moaned in bliss, closing his eyes to enjoy the sensation, muttering Seonghwa's name and tossing his head to one side. Seonghwa sucked on his fingers for a few seconds, pulling them out of his mouth with a pop. He gingerly slicked Hongjoong's hole, receiving small moans from the other.

"Hongjoong, angel," Seonghwa said, a tiny smile on his lips. Hongjoong was pulled out of his head with a sigh. "Look at me, please." Hongjoong turned and looked into Seonghwa's eyes. "Are you good?"

Hongjoong nodded. "Yeah." Seonghwa mumbled _'OK'._ His smile vanished, a hungry expression on Seonghwa's face that lit a fire in Hongjoong's stomach and put a smirk on his face. Hongjoong bit his lip, keeping his eyes on Seonghwa as the older boy slipped one finger into his hole, being as gentle as he could and pausing once his entire finger was inside. Hongjoong sighed, his upper body slumping in relief.

"Is that good?"

"Mm," Hongjoong nodded. "Yeah. Keep going." Seonghwa began to slowly pump his finger in and out of Hongjoong, the squelching quiet but reaching their ears without problem. The redhead's groans became louder and more frequent. Seonghwa leaned over and enclosed their lips to quiet Hongjoong's noises.

Seonghwa waited until Hongjoong's body adapted a little to put in a second finger. Hongjoong let out a moan more lustful than before, and Seonghwa moved his kisses to Hongjoong's neck, sucking and licking wherever their flesh made contact. The sound of Seonghwa's fingers and Hongjoong's ass was growing more obscene with each motion. Hongjoong leaned his head into the pillow and panted, soaking up the tightness in his ass and the wetness of Seonghwa's lips. Seconds later, Seonghwa sped up his fingers, and in reaction, Hongjoong's panting sped up, his voice climbing up a few keys higher than normal. "Ah, ah, Seonghwa, ah..."

Seonghwa's voice, in contrast, had deepened. "Mm, my pretty angel... do you feel good?" He watched Hongjoong ravenously, enjoying the hell out of the way Hongjoong's face contorted in pleasure.

"Mm, yes, oh..." Hongjoong gripped Seonghwa's shoulders tightly. Seonghwa's pupils dilated further. "More, Seonghwa... I want more, _please_."

"More of what?" Seonghwa pulled out his fingers almost completely, then plunged his digits until his knuckles hit the rim of Hongjoong's hole and curled his fingers rapidly. Hongjoong squealed in response, squirming his body and thrashing his head from side to side. The sound of sex was loud enough that Seonghwa figured the others might have heard. "More of _what_ , angel?"

"Mm, _fuck_ , I want your dick, Seonghwa." Hongjoong barked. _'They heard_ _that_ _for sure.'_ Thought Seonghwa. _'Then again, we all know what we're here for and what is required of us.'_

Hongjoong's words echoed in his mind like the sound of glass thrown onto the concrete floor of a sewage tunnel. It drove Seonghwa mad. The way he looked at Hongjoong was kind of scary but absolutely sexy. Seonghwa retracted his fingers, a fast, boisterous squishing resulting from the movement. Hongjoong gasped in shock and jolted his legs.

"Sorry." Seonghwa said, wiping his fingers on the underside of Hongjoong's thigh.

"Mm, it's fine." Hongjoong mumbled. Seonghwa positioned himself at Hongjoong's entrance, and Hongjoong keened at the contact. Seonghwa looked up at Hongjoong's face. The younger nodded.

Seonghwa gingerly pushed his head in, Hongjoong hiss turning into a euphoric moan. Seonghwa gradually inserted more of himself inside Hongjoong, then stopped. Hongjoong peeked down to see what was going on. Seonghwa said, "Are you OK?"

Realizing he had stopped to give Hongjoong time to adjust, Hongjoong gave a small smile to his lover. "I'm _more_ than OK, love."

Seonghwa nodded. "Let me know if I need to stop." Hongjoong bobbed his head. Seonghwa pulled out of Hongjoong, handled himself a little, then nudged his cock back inside. Hongjoong gave the most delicious moan in response, bucking his hips ever so slightly. Seonghwa licked his lips at the sound and leaned forward to kiss Hongjoong, who eagerly kissed back.

Seonghwa started to thrust into Hongjoong, pulling back and pushing in casually. Hongjoong's small moans were occasionally disrupted by a larger sound, when Seonghwa would rub against what felt like the near-back of his ass. Wherever he was actually hitting, it was _magical_. A minute or so into this, Hongjoong growled and gave Seonghwa an intense stare that stole his breath away and made his mouth dry. "More, Seonghwa. Want you... harder."

"As you wish, angel." Seonghwa licked his mouth and lips. He grabbed Hongjoong's leg and threw it over his shoulder, yanking the boy closer and earning a loud gasp from him. Seonghwa picked up his pace, clutching Hongjoong's hips as he slammed into his hole, grunting noisily. Hongjoong screamed with relish, holding the sheets tightly. He moved his hips to meet Seonghwa's as best he could.

Seonghwa's eyes immediately flared, and he whipped the two around, leaving Hongjoong to sit on his knees as he shoved the pillows back and propped his back against them. Hongjoong fervently climbed over Seonghwa's legs and lowered himself onto his dick, sighing and batting his lashes in ecstasy. Seonghwa licked and sucked on Hongjoong's nipples to busy his mouth. He watched with hooded eyes as Hongjoong moved himself up and down leisurely, filling himself deeply each time. "Oh my _Goood_..." Moaned Hongjoong.

"Feels... good, angel?" Seonghwa panted, moving his lips up to Hongjoong's neck and jaw and gently thrusting into Hongjoong. The younger boy hummed in response. Hongjoong bowed his head to smash his lips with Seonghwa's. The lovers moaned and sighed as they made out, their tongues dancing together and the sounds of their love making filled the air at a constant, like wind chimes on an autumn day. Hongjoong suddenly sat up taut with a sharp gasp, tightening his hold on Seonghwa's biceps.

"Cum for me, angel. You can do it." Seonghwa whispered, directly into Hongjoong's ears. He held Hongjoong's member and rapidly worked on it. Hongjoong's head fell back, his moans quickening and loudening until he was practically screaming.

"Seonghwa! Seonghwa, ah—!" With a final wail, Hongjoong came onto their sweaty bodies. His grip on Seonghwa loosened. Seonghwa groaned at the sight, halted his hand on Hongjoong's dick and released his seed inside Hongjoong.

A blue flame appeared in the gold sconce. The two heard applause from one pair of hands. Both panting, they peeked at the blue light and made out a humanoid, golden silhouette that ended its clapping once it was seen. Seonghwa slowly lifted Hongjoong off his lap. Hongjoong used his knees and hands to help, sucking in air through his teeth. He laid beside Seonghwa on his side, and Seonghwa laid on his back. Hongjoong turned his body to rest his head on Seonghwa's chest.

"What is your wish?" The creature asked.

"We want our babies back." Answered Seonghwa.

"How can I do that? Neither of you are women."

"We have friends in Eryburn who agreed to bear our children."

The monster hummed with interest. "What are their names?"

"Jeong Yunhee for me, Dan Sookjo for my lover."

"I will remember that. Allow me to gather your seeds." Said the creature. Seonghwa and Hongjoong nodded. Coming into the light to reveal itself, the translucent, gold being with no mouth, nose or lower half floated over to the left side of the bed.

Its human arms reached Seonghwa's chest and touched a smear of semen there. It gave a hum, as if puzzled. The semen it touched disappeared. "What is it, djinn?" Seonghwa asked.

"Your cum is inside your lover. This presents a problem." It said, taking its arm away from Seonghwa but staying where it hovered.

Seonghwa and Hongjoong sat up a little. "What's the problem?" Asked Hongjoong.

"I know that you, red haired one, made a wish with a woman today. This is a problem because she touched you to make the spell. Do tell me what this wish entailed." The djinn crossed his arms.

Hongjoong gulped. "It wasn't a wish, per say. She linked her power to me. If I'm in danger during the week the spell will last, she can teleport to me."

"Ah, a receivant of Butterfly Teleport. You are right: it is less of a wish and more of a _promise_. And because this spell was cast through physical touch, there is a considerable chance that she will become pregnant when this wish is made. Even more so if the promise is kept and she comes to save you, red haired one. There is nothing I can do about that." Seonghwa's head was swimming. He shut his eyes and shook his head to clear his fatigue. "Are you friends with this woman?"

"A-Acquaintances. We just met today."

The djinn hummed. "You have piqued my curiosity. She is none of my business, unless you have a question for me about her possible pregnancy."

"She's... a mermaid, you see."

"Oh, oho ho... is she swimming to Mermaid Cove, as we speak?" The djinn inquired. Hongjoong nodded meekly. "Even if she was walking on land, most of the sperm would stay in her uterus. _All_ of the sperm that was put in _your_ body, red haired one, has been placed into _her_ body, sealed in her womanhood because of her tail. See! Your rear is dry now, is it not?"

Flustered, Hongjoong touched his asshole, clenching his teeth and closing his eyelids. "It's... true. I'm dry. I didn't even notice."

"Your body dried as we spoke, human. My spell prepares itself quickly, thanks in part to how often I have used it." The djinn looked at Seonghwa. "The mermaid _will_ be pregnant. I hope that will not be a problem. You will have the child you lost, through my powers, and a _new_ child, through your lover's fish friend."

Seonghwa struggled to swallow. "It will be fine, djinn."

The djinn laughed within its throat. "Is there anything else you would like to discuss with me?"

"Yes." Hongjoong said. "We want our children to live through their infancy."

"Mm, understandable and possible. I shall make it so. Best of luck with the hermit. He's a real bastard." Said the djinn. Seonghwa and Hongjoong's eyes opened wide. Their eyes flicked to meet, for a moment.

Hongjoong began, "How did you—ngh!" Suddenly, the djinn swiped Hongjoong's jaw, wiping away a spot of semen.

"Mm... now I know for _sure_. Your skin has absorbed the kiss of our new Beacon. The last one is sure to be a spectacle..."

"Stop talking in riddles and tell us how you knew of our fate!" Demanded Seonghwa.

The djinn's body became blue like its eyes. "IS _THAT_ YOUR REAL WISH, HUMAN?"

Seonghwa's eyes became frightful. "N-No, I didn't mean it like that. Forgive me, djinn." The djinn grumbled, and after a moment, its colour returned to gold. "Our wish is as we said: we want our babies back." The djinn observed the boy for a couple of seconds. It hummed.

"I will believe you, human. But be wary of your tongue with such things, from this moment onwards. You, your lover and those that came with you are now walking towards a fate that no Beacon has changed."

"Would your kind be glad, if the hermit were to die?" Hongjoong asked, sincerely.

The djinn hummed in a considerate tune. "Not _my_ kind, but the yellow eyed fish, for sure. I meant what I said, in that I wish you luck. You will certainly need it." It chuckled. "I think we have talked enough, yes?"

"Yes." Seonghwa and Hongjoong answered, nodding.

"Very good. This shall be, and nothing else, and then your fate is out of my hands and..." The djinn gave a _'humph!'_ of surprise. "Into whoever's hands you will be in, after. Goodbye, humans. I thank you for the show. It was quite tasteful." The djinn vanished, and so did the blue flame.

Seonghwa and Hongjoong sighed. "Well, that's done." Said Hongjoong.

"Let's get out of here, I have chills from that thing touching me." Seonghwa replied. They climbed out of bed, a bit sore and a bit slow. They dressed and halted before the door, gazing into each other's eyes.

"What is it, Seonghwa?"

"Two babies..." Seonghwa's broke eye contact. "I barely know Hyeonja. She probably doesn't want a baby, probably isn't ready for one." The door started to lower itself into the ground, spooking the two.

Seonghwa lowered his volume. "She's a Beacon, she might not live to give birth. _I_ might not live to see either of my children being born." He raised his eyes to Hongjoong's. "You might not, either."

Hongjoong dropped his eyes to the ground. The door was low enough for him to step over it. His eyes darted at the faces of his friends and crew, who all looked at him and Seonghwa. Those who were squatting or sitting got on their feet. Seonghwa hurriedly followed him, not breaking his line of sight from Hongjoong's face.

"What am I going to tell her?" Seonghwa whispered.

" _We_ will tell her the truth." Hongjoong said, his volume low to keep their topic private. "It will be part of our conversation in Mendol. She won't panic and run away, and try to get rid of the child. The djinn agreed that our children will live past infancy. That _just might_ mean our friends and Hyeonja will live, too."

Seonghwa shifted his gaze to the ceiling to think for a moment, then looked at Hongjoong. He spoke at a normal volume. "You know what? You just might have made an opportunity for us." Hongjoong jerked his eyebrows up twice, smirking.

"The djinn accepted your wish?" Asked Yeosang. He and the other six boys came closer to their leaders.

"Yes," Hongjoong said with a sigh. "He did."

"It's odd to not hear you say _'aye'_ , hyung." Jongho commented.

"Did something happen, in there?" San asked. Hongjoong cast his eyes on Seonghwa with a gloomy expression. Seonghwa gulped. The boys looked at their leaders, concerned.

"I'm OK with telling them now, but I won't if you aren't OK with it. I won't say a thing about it until you say that you _are_." Hongjoong said.

Seonghwa quietly sighed. "Yeah. This is something we should say _now_. May I?"

Hongjoong made a vague sweeping gesture with his hand. "Be my guest."

Seonghwa swallowed and looked among his friends, dotting on the pirates as well. "Because of Hongjoong's promise with Hyeonja, and because it was made with physical touch, the djinn said that Hyeonja will have a second child for me." A few men muttered _'What?'_ , and many looked at each other in bewilderment. "Hongjoong and I have decided to bring this subject up to Hyeonja, in Mendol. We hope it doesn't scare her."

"If she runs, the child will be born and live past infancy because of the condition Hongjoong made with the djinn. Nevertheless, I am worried she will be scared that less of her life is in her control because of our actions." He lowered his eyes for a moment. "I could take that much away from her character, when we met today. If we need to become closer to her in order to have a better chance, when we confront the hermit, the way we present this issue is crucial to Hyeonja's perspective on us. Well," He turned his head to the captain. "At least of Hongjoong and me."

"Oh my God." Mumbled Mingi, a hand hovering his mouth.

"That's so heavy, hyung." Said Wooyoung.

"Yeah, no wonder you're so worried." San said.

"We probably can't help with _that_ conversation," Said Yunho. "But we can help her like us _before_ you have to bring that up. She seemed to like talking." Wooyoung, Yeosang, Hongjoong and some of the pirates made noises of agreement. "Maybe _then_ she won't think so much about running away."

"I hope so, Yunho." Seonghwa replied, sighing.

"Did you find any treasure from the other rooms?" Questioned Hongjoong.

"Aye, cap'n. But only enough to buy 'alf a barrel o' rice an' another 'alf o' fruit." Answered a pirate.

"Let me see." Hongjoong was approached by another pirate, who held a burlap sack of silver cups and plates. A few of the cups had small gems embedded along the rims. "Ah, only silver?"

"Aye, cap'n." Said the pirate who stood before him. "An unfortunate turn o' events fer us."

"At least we won't walk out of here with nothing, boys."

Seonghwa grinned. "Maybe Hyeonja will come with us some time, and then we'll walk out of here with _a_ _lot_ of something?"

Hongjoong smiled. "Aye, maybe, Seonghwa. Come on, boys! We've got monsters to hunt." The room roared with cheering from everyone.

The captain and first mate lead everyone to the crevice, which they squeezed through for two and a half minutes and then were in the fifth room. It was less than half the size of the one they had travelled from, and partially-eaten corpses of mermaids and humans were strewn about like a child had been playing with tinsel. Stalagmites not only lined the walls but were in various spots in the room. Some of the dead bodies were skewered, wholly or partially, by the rock formations. Yeosang thought he saw a golden shimmer in one of the stalactites. _'How could we reach that?'_ He pondered.

A beast whose upper half was naked and man-like with a brown, hairy head with pig ears had its back to the pirates, its forehead against the farthest wall. Its bare legs had black pig's hooves for feet, a pig's tail on its rear and hairy arms with hooves for hands. As the assembly did their best to gather in the room quietly, the monster looked over its shoulder to stare.

"Giokja, I take it?" Hongjoong said.

"Hmph, yes, that is my name, human, hmm..." The beast said, its feet clopping on the rocks to face them. "Lots of, hm, meat, mhm. Let us fight, mmph, see who's strongest, hmm. Come at me all at once, mm, it does not matter."

"If you, mhm hm hm," Its chest bounced with laughter. "Happen to win, which, mhm hm hm, _you won't_ , you get a prize. I have been, hm, hoarding it for years, _years and years_. It will reveal itself to you, hm hm, like a woman showing her bosom at the beginning of a fuck, hmm."

Hongjoong sneered. "You have a deal, Giokja. Let's fight."


End file.
